The Serpent's Scheme
by AsioVen
Summary: One nosy green kid knows something's awry when a cruel curse spurs Raven to go AWOL. Her experience with a con artist and her shady crowd won't be put behind her behind so easily. Raven's burden returns with the near year, and what's more: Malchior is unbound and at large. He's had a change of plan that again requires a particular beautiful girl.
1. Ego

(yay look i drew a cover thing. Is it just me, or does FF kill image quality? Ah, such a shame.)

**Inspiration:** _"He lied to me. He lied, and I gave him what he wanted." – Raven, _"Spellbound"

**Disclaimer:** The Titans do not belong to me. Sadness for me. _(People still do disclaimers, yes?)_

**Updates:** Aiming for 2 to 3 a week. Probably Monday, Wednesday and/or Saturday…or at random. We'll see.

**Author's Note:** First of all, _oh man._ I haven't written fanfics in years. Or…really, any writing at all. I am so rusty. :( I'm sorry if this has been done before? I just started writing it and the idea stuck with me for far too long. I'd meant it to be 40k max. So why is my word count at 140k? This is not good for someone who can't proofread fast! *digs a hole, dies in it* I kinda sorta rewrote this several times trying to "fix" it. I've been tinkering with it for over a year, and I'm not sure how "fixed" it can get. Even in my head, it's pretty freaking messed up. Dang you, Malchior. And dang that quote for planting the idea in my head. And sundog dang my BBRae feels. *duct tapes them together*

Expect typical chapters to be anywhere from 3-6k. Presently at 30+ chapters, so not sure how long the story will be… If you enjoy it and stick with it, regardless of how odd/cheesy/stupid this story may get, I love you. I'm just a sad girl trying to make myself happy, so if I can amuse you too, that's fantastic.

Now, in regards to this chapter, being fat is fine. I, myself, am obese, and I'm fine with that. Fat means jiggles, and jiggles mean giggles, and giggles are good! I love hugging my fellow chubby sister. We are soft and bouncy. I am shutting up now. Please carry on.

_~Asio_

* * *

**1. Ego**

Jump City was blessed with a period of peace. Or that's how it felt for the Titans, in any case, after a recent particularly busy week. The following rare bank robbery or bus hijacking was nowhere near as taxing as dealing with bigger foes: Overload, Plasmus, and Cinderblock had teamed up to run amuck, and Mad Mod had thought it would be clever to sabotage a parade. For a whole night, Johnny Rancid ran them ragged with chasing him across town. It was almost a relief to be called _only _to recapture Control Freak when the acne-plagued geek escaped prison for an evening.

With the recent appearance of Slade's fiendish trio, it seemed almost as though most villains had put off their plans. Would it be too much to hope that the more common evil-doers had taken some time off? Slim chance – the quiet before the storm, surely – but one could still hope it were the case.

Taking advantage of the lack of chaos, Robin had taken a trip to train with the Master. Meanwhile, the rest of the team spent their time on trivial activities, such as helping little old ladies cross the street, lending a hand with disabled children, catching speeding drivers, or evading direct sunlight at all costs.

There hadn't been an emergency to respond to in days, and it left nearly everyone with cabin fever. Most of the time, there was at least one Titan out in town, sometimes two or three, trying to find something to do, and on occasion, the tower was left in idyllic silence. To the blue-hooded girl, it was perfect for reading storybooks from the comfort of the sofa.

Now, when a familiar presence drew her attention, she wasn't about to complain. As much as she appreciated the quiet time, she was relieved that with their leader's return, he would return some order back to the daily life. Without Robin to keep a certain pair of best buds from being over-the-top _obnoxious,_ Raven had nearly snapped them like toothpicks _twice_ this week. As much as she longed to do so, she knew silencing by death wasn't exactly what "friends" do.

Without Robin to remind her to be kind, she'd given Cyborg and Beast Boy the boot, less than gently sending the pair out to be annoying elsewhere. She felt barely an inkling of guilt. Starfire, clearly seeing Raven's aggravation today, had left to take Silkie for a stroll.

The door swished open, familiar footsteps nearing from behind. No one could see it, so Raven allowed herself a small pleased smirk. "Welcome back," she greeted, not sparing a single look to the boy striding toward her. "School go well?"

Robin was preoccupied, barely glancing over to her. With a weary sigh, he leaned back on the sofa, pulling out his T-com. He was slow to reply, "It was all right. Where is everyone?" But he was already seeking them out on the small display in the palm of his hand.

Raven shrugged, turning a page. "If I had to guess, I'd say Beast Boy is probably sniffing out fire hydrants, Cyborg is hanging out with a lady friend, and Starfire is in the park," she said dully. "Things have been pretty–," the sound of a siren cut her off, and she snapped her book shut.

"_Quiet," _she finished with a note of irritation as Robin dashed back out, his energy restored by adrenaline. _I swear, that boy is a trouble magnet,_ Raven thought, shaking her head and flipping up her hood.

++X++

The team arrived on the scene within minutes, coming in from all corners of town. First Starfire, then Cyborg and Beast Boy, with Robin bringing up the tail on his motorbike. For a minute, no one seemed to even acknowledge Raven, correctly assuming she was lurking about, and no one noticed precisely when she got there. But then, appearing in a shadowy niche wasn't the flashiest way to signal her arrival and silence wasn't too great at catching attention. The only one who seemed to actually see her was Beast Boy, and he flashed a thrilled dorky grin before diving back into a mumbled conversation with Cyborg and Robin.

The crook, none other than Gizmo, had chosen a electronics store specializing in computers to test his new toy in. It took the team a moment to analyze the situation. In the boy's hand, he held a small white box, and it worked like a vacuum of sorts as it sucked up items off display shelves. However small the device was, it held an impossibly large amount of stolen merchandise, including the store's line of cash registers.

Robin, all too eager to see some action, made his move without stopping to consider any other ideas from the team, fully expecting them to follow his lead. Gizmo could usually be classified _easy,_ anyway. Robin came right in through the double doors and barked an order at the crabby boy, "Freeze!"

Which of course was met with a scoff, "Sure thing, bird brain!" Gizmo aimed the little box toward Robin, turned two dials on the top of it, and an ice chest was expelled from the hole.

Robin jumped straight up to avoid it, but it clattered to the floor below him, spilling its frozen contents. He slipped on the ice chunks as Gizmo turned the dial again, and live fireworks were expelled as Robin reeled. The ice and water on linoleum underfoot provided little traction, and he didn't go far when he tried to leap away. Before the sparkling missiles could hit him, Starfire flashed in, catching Robin around the waist and yanking him away to safety.

The explosion caused a fair distraction as the big-headed boy made his getaway with his loot through the smoke and colorful embers. Metal legs sprouted from his tech-pack to whisk him away toward a dark alley, following a path he'd already mapped out before initiating the pillage.

Raven looked between the escaping felon and the boys coughing as they fled from the suffocating smoke, Starfire hovering above. She caught Cyborg's eye before flying after Gizmo herself.

When she turned the corner to the long, dark, and empty alleyway, she had to stop and wonder where the brat went. Raven let her feet settle on the ground, pausing to concentrate on locating him. She knew he was nearby, but he was nowhere to be seen. Had he gone through a window? Climbed the wall onto the rooftops?

_Click, click, click._

"Gotcha," sneered the whiz kid.

With a startled gasp, Raven looked up in time to see a bald child scuttling away up along the wall like a big metal spider, making his getaway.

Something dropped behind her. There was hardly a moment's notice to shield herself against the blast of a grenade. The explosion left a crater in the pavement and tore away at her barrier. Lucky to be unharmed, she decided it could be worth finding out where he picked up that thing later.

She grit her teeth and prowled after the troublesome boy. _"Azarath metrion zinthos!"_ Raven growled, her tone rising to a shout. Dark energy ripped a chain-link fence from its post halfway down the alleyway as the boy crossed over it, and wrapped around him like a blanket – an uncomfortably cold metal blanket.

In an instant, she was standing next him, glaring down at him spitefully. "I dare you try that again," she warned. "Any last words?" She raised her hand in a menacing manner, as if threatening to crush him with the fencing. She wouldn't do it of course, but it would be satisfying to worry him.

Gizmo struggled against the chain fencing for a minute before fixing her in a scornful stare, a nasty little grin stretching across his face. "Yeah, thunder thighs. You should lay off the waffles," he suggested dryly. "You're getting kind of _fat!"_

Raven staggered back as though he had just given her a physical shove with his spoken words. She faltered, and in that instant the chain link was ripped open by Gizmo's robotic legs and he was off again.

Moments later, the rest of her team was rushing past. Robin stopped to glance back at her, curious and a tad worried as she continued to stand stock-still, staring dead ahead.

She snapped out of it before Robin could speak a word to her. "I'll catch up," she promised.

_They can handle him,_ she thought to herself when they were well out of sight. _Gizmo's just a jerk. I shouldn't take it personal._ Why did it even bother her? Something nagged at the back of her mind, but she disregarded it.

Raven took a deep breath to calm her nerves and make sure she kept herself in order in case they weren't finished when she reached them.

But thankfully, they were, which meant she had to worry less about pounding the kid into a pulp for the offensive retort. She didn't lose even the slightest bit of control over the poor little felon – didn't even _try_ to spook him. Though she hardly made an appearance at all, really. Thanks to his remark, she was subconsciously even less keen to draw attention to herself. She merely watched the team at work from afar as the squirming boy was loaded into the back of a truck and hauled away.

Robin had the tiny genius's pack and Beast Boy was toying with the mysterious box Gizmo must have dropped, the one he used to suck up merchandise and spit out the explosives.

"Hey, I think I found the eject button!" Beast Boy announced excitedly. Before anyone could stop him, he hit the tempting button. He yelped as stink bombs went off at his feet, and filled the street with a noxious yellow-green cloud of smoke. Everyone ran upwind of the cloud as fast as they possibly could, a few bystanders scattering left and right.

"Ugh…My bad," Beast Boy grumbled, his nosed plugged against the stench. His teammates glared harshly at him, but he met their stares with a sheepish chuckle.

Cyborg leaned closer just an inch to give him a sniff. _"Woo!_ That is some rank stuff."

"Maybe you should pick up some tomato juice on the way home," chided Robin.

"Or go live with the skunks in the city park," Raven added scornfully through her cuff. Although all eyes were turned on him in a displeased manner, Beast Boy winced at her glare in particular. It brought her distinct pleasure that a single look could worry him on such a level.

On the way home, Beast Boy was sent on a mission of shame to order the pizza, since he was the one who'd set off the stink bombs in the first place. He also smelled the worst, having received the brunt of it. If anything, it should have served as a good lesson in humiliation. However, the manager wanted him out so bad, he sent him off with the pizzas for free before he could even finish ordering. Cyborg's one oversight was that Beast Boy returned with vegetarian pizzas – so the hulking teen grudgingly went in to order his own with extra pepperoni.

Back home, Raven didn't notice the stares on her, but the others watched in awe as she sullenly ate her fourth slice. With her attention elsewhere, she didn't hear them muttering behind her, making bets on how many slices she would have or Starfire's comment on how fortunate they were to have an extra pizza this evening.

Raven was more concerned with staring out into the bay, watching the water sparkle brilliant colors from the sunset as she considered the ways could get back at Gizmo for calling her fat. _I just need to meditate. Get my head back in order,_ she told herself. Normally, she wouldn't take it so personal, but something had clicked in her brain and now that was all she could think about. His comment bothered her severely.

"Easy there, Rae. You don't wanna lose your figure, do ya?" Cyborg called over with a laugh.

The crash behind her punctuated her breaking point, as Cyborg's barstool was struck with a black bolt and flipped out from under him.

"Oops," Raven apologized dishonestly, watching him pick himself up in the reflection. She finished the last of her pizza, tossing the crust down to the patiently waiting Silkie, and skulked past the boys. She held her hood to hide her face, clinging to the false sense of security.

"Hah! Told you! Pay up," Robin said to the others as she left, and Beast Boy and Cyborg each begrudgingly forked up some cash.

Safely outside ops doors, Raven leaned on a guardrail. She debated with herself for a minute before shaking her head with a groan and turning around to head the other way. This was not the route to her room. Just walking this way made dread bubble up inside her.

She took her time, and her resolve weakened. When she reached Starfire's door, she barely considered knocking. "This is stupid," she mumbled to herself. _But maybe a girl talk will help ease your mind,_ advised a voice, but she objected to it. "That's what meditation is for."

Just as she'd convinced herself that this endeavor would serve no purpose, the door opened and the scent of heavy perfume came wafting out so strongly that Raven's nose burned and her eyes watered. Starfire had her hair clipped back nicely and she was dressed in a new revealing outfit, this one more casual than usual. Either she had plans for a date, or she was just playing dress up again.

"_Eek!"_ Starfire squealed, jumping back. "I was, um, looking for Silkie! Have you seen him?" she bluffed.

Although she knew he was still begging for scraps back in the kitchen, Raven shook her head. "Can I…ask you something?" she questioned uneasily.

"Oh, of course! Anything!" Starfire said excitedly. She pulled Raven into her well-lit room with a giggle. The door swishing shut behind her felt akin to a death sentence. "What is it you wish to ask me? Do you wish for us to do the hanging out?"

"Uh, no."

Starfire's eyes got huge and she pursed her lips as she put on her best Bambi face. "Do you wish to braid my hair?"

Raven stared back and again said flatly, "No."

It was worth a try. Starfire pouted. "Very well. What is the matter? You seemed rather concerned earlier," she noted.

Raven's cheeks flushed slightly. She was already here, and it would be a bother to get the nerve up to approach the subject later.

"Please, Raven, tell me what troubles you?" Starfire encouraged gently. "You can speak with me."

Drawing an inward groan, Raven turned to the side and pulled her cloak up out of the way. "Do…I look fat?" she mumbled as loudly as she could.

There were many things Starfire could have guessed she would ask, and this just wasn't one of them. She circled like a buzzard as she evaluated her friend. When her feet touched the carpet again, she looked thoughtful. "Well, you _have_ been eating more lately," she said. "Is it not to be expected?"

"Gee, thanks," Raven grumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes. She should have turned back before she reached Starfire's room. This _was _stupid, and served no purpose. It's not like she was overweight, but _still._

"Do not be fret over it," Starfire advised. "Try not to be so bored."

Raven turned her glower back to her friend. "What does being bored have to do with it?"

"Well, the boys eat when they are bored—"

"I'm not eating out of boredom!" Raven retorted bitterly. She turned and stormed out in a fume.

Starfire called after her, "If it is really that concerning, I doubt it's anything exercise won't fix!"

Seconds after shadows overtook Raven, Silkie came crawling in to lean up on Starfire's leg and wag his rear. She looked down at her little bumgorf. "Well else what was I to say?" she asked him, but the big squishy larva lovingly stared back up at her seemingly without comprehension or opinion. That was the good thing about pets, she supposed, as she scooped up the larva.

* * *

**A/N**

_Spoiler alert:_ Raven gets obese and a dragon gobbles her up for dinner. The End.

…Wait what do you mean that's not the story I wrote? What have I been wasting my life on, then?

_~__Asio_


	2. Blurred Lines

Here I go, playing a game of Abuse BB. YEEHAW!

~Asio

_( P.S. Title name refers only to the story..not some song? band? what? which I learned about, like, 5 seconds ago. The images are familiar, and if I recall correctly, it was something offensive. This was written & named in 2012, sssso. o-o )_

* * *

**2. Blurred Lines**

Raven had barely slept that night, the gears in her head spinning rapidly, and it had been sometime past the witching hour that she'd remedied her insomnia with a sleeping spell. That alone was reason enough to foul her mood.

Her alarm clock had woken her undesirably early, and a cloud hung over her head all morning. Starfire sighed in remorse once she saw Raven's state on this bright new day, and the boys recognized her mood in time to avoid confrontation with her. They hadn't dared to approach her, and Raven was glad to retreat outside for some fresh air.

She circled around the tower to hide out in its cool morning shadow, and stared out at the open ocean. The expanse of water stretched for as far as the eye could see, sparkling and undisturbed. Raven breathed deep and folded her legs to meditate aloft. _"Azarath, metrion, zinthos,"_ she whispered to herself, easily falling into the soothing rhythm.

After a long while, she came to sit on solid ground again. Warm wind blew away the shadow's morning chill and carried the far cry of seagulls to her. In the bay a lone yacht cruised along, sticking out like a sore thumb as it cut through the shimmering blue water.

Something above caught Raven's eye, and it wasn't a bird. She tipped her head up to see a volleyball plummeting for the sea. Starfire darted down after it, but moments later something green and bullet-like shot past her and latched itself to the ball. Starfire gasped when the falcon and the ball vanished below the waves.

Starfire touched down on a rocky ledge and Raven came to stand beside her. They scanned the shifting crests to no avail. "Is he drowning?" Raven asked with mock optimism.

Right on cue, a big round black and green face appeared, holding the ball carefully in a mouth full of sharp orca teeth. He sprang up out of the water, and the girls stood back as Beast Boy shook himself dry like a dog.

"You should come play with us, Raven," Starfire encouraged.

Raven cringed, backing away. "I'll pass."

"C'mon, you could use the exercise."

"_Beast Boy—,"_ Starfire hissed, but her warning came too late.

Unexpectedly set off by the harmless jest, Raven spun on her heel with a demonic snarl on her face, and Beast Boy yelped as Starfire yanked him skyward, narrowly missing the blast of black energy that struck the ground where he stood a heartbeat ago. A shocked look crossed over Raven, and she fled before her friends could say a word.

Gizmo's insult still bothered her. She'd thought she'd put it behind her, but she was just proven wrong.

At least Raven was able to take out her aggravation on the durable Mammoth later that day. The bonus of being in the crime fighting business, she thought. The team had wisely taken a step back and let her go one on one with the brute, thankful her temper was directed at him rather than one of their own. In the end, Mammoth regretted calling her a little girl. Even the petite Jinx shoved him for the comment when he was placed in custody alongside her.

Over the next week or so, Raven relaxed considerably and her extra hot temper subsided until she'd mostly returned to her typical unyielding self. She wasn't over her upset, but she was better at hiding it. The team still gave her a wide berth, with the exception of Beast Boy, who was, as always, begging for a bruising.

As was customary, Cyborg and Robin egged Beast Boy on from the sidelines, and one incidence he'd gone as far as taking Raven's cloak without her budging. This was not the first time he'd had the idiotic gall to do it, and it certainly would not be the last. She glared down into her tea for a long moment, just barely tolerating this treatment. The mockery behind her back ended abruptly at the mere mention of her recent indulgences.

Cyborg and Robin shrank back, and Beast Boy froze at the worried look that came over them. He turned carefully when he felt the ominous presence looming over him from behind. Raven stared back at him with her frigid gaze. He grinned sheepishly.

Raven practiced restraint over her powers now, choosing to sucker punched the class clown in the gut with her own fist before retrieving her cloak. She pulled it back onto herself and returned to her tea and her book, trying hard to ignore the muttering behind her.

"_Youch._ Is she on the rag or something?" Robin whispered with a cringe.

"I don't think so," wheezed Beast Boy. "And you shouldn't—"

"How would you know?"

"They share the south wing bathroom," Cyborg reminded.

"That's not – _ugh,_ never mind."

Raven bristled at this talk behind her, and her face heated. She badly wanted to snap at them for talking about personal girl things, but bit her tongue. She collected her book and hurried out before she could hear anything else that might set her off. She didn't _want_ to hurt anyone. Beast Boy was just a special exception.

_Aunt Flow. Yeah. That would explain why you're especially pissy,_ chimed a voice in Raven's head. She didn't really feel like that was the problem, though. She was a few days late, though, so maybe it was bound to hit her real soon. That time of month wasn't exactly welcomed, but at least it served as an excuse for her temper.

She was both thankful yet irritated that "Aunt Flow" in fact did not visit. She'd check her calendar anxiously though, suspicious she'd made a mistake. Eventually Raven came to accept that she was simply irregular for the time being, and to be on her guard for a surprise. She didn't worry about it a whole lot.

++X++

At roughly four in the morning, Raven found herself sitting in the shower feeling somewhat relieved after a bout of nausea. She didn't think there could be anything left but her stomach kept trying to prove her wrong. The talking broccoli had been put in charge of dinner, and she reasoned that it was his fault something hadn't agreed with her. Was it possible to get food poisoning from tofu?

She sat in the shower for a good while, letting the water beat on her back and watching it stream from her hair. She suppressed another wave of sickness and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Raven desperately hoped that she didn't wake anyone up with her retching as she miserably tip-toed to her bedroom. She could not get any rest after that awful occurrence. Something felt very wrong, and she couldn't bring herself to be at peace for even a few minutes.

Fortunately, no one asked about how she felt or if anything was wrong later that day. She thought she was in the clear.

That is, until just after noon, when the feeling came back full on and she had to hold herself helplessly over a kitchen trash bin. _Yes, let's throw random nausea in to spice up my life, _Raven thought bleakly and braced herself again.

Robin had the misfortune of walking in then. He caught her swearing between dry heaves, and he seriously considered backing out. The teammate on the floor settled down after a moment.

"Stomach bug?" Robin guessed as he dared to circle closer.

Raven let down her hair and leaned back on a cupboard. "I hope," she croaked around her hand.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Robin knelt down on one knee and surveyed her skeptically. Maybe getting this close to her was unwise, but he disregarded that for now. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. Just making friends with the garbage." Raven pushed herself up on weak legs and sauntered away. She clutched her robe around herself tightly.

"Where're you going?" Robin called after her.

She gave him a white lie, "Back to bed."

Raven went straight to her bedroom, but sleep was the last thing on her mind as she grabbed a personal calendar from the stand under the mirror and threw herself down on her belly in bed. She moaned to herself, flipping open the small booklet, and counted days yet again. "Nothing's adding up," she mumbled.

Moments after discontentedly folding her arms under her chin, something grabbed her interest. Her head whipped around toward the door. She thought she heard a snigger. "I was imagining it," she assured herself, shaking her head.

Raven sat up to begin meditation. Before she could utter, _"Azarath,"_ she heard it again. Her feet met the floor and her eyes locked on her largest bookshelf apprehensively.

She was sure she'd heard it this time – laughter – but there was no way. She knew that laugh. It couldn't be _his._ Raven swallowed bile and approached the bookshelf, where she could hear the quiet chiming chuckle. Once it had been very warm and gentle, and oh how she'd loved that very sound.

Now, however, the deceitful snigger struck terror through her core.

She stood before the large angular shelf and scanned it whilst struggling to maintain her calm. Was it bigger than usual? _This isn't real. This can't be real, _echoed in her mind. The books on her shelf were bound so similarly, but she could pick out that one in particular nonetheless. "I locked you in the trunk," Raven muttered. "How did you get up there?" She reached up to pull a silent white tome from the very top shelf.

The book fell from her hands the very moment she spied the paper rose peeking out from under the cover. It landed on its spine, presenting the torn page that had once featured the wizard's eyes. Staring back at her now, were the searing eyes of the dragon.

His sweet laugh turned into a mad cackle, growing ever more entertained as Raven snapped the book shut and—

Raven shot upright in her bed, gasping for breath. She desperately clutched a pillow to her chest as beads of sweat dripped down her face. "It was just a bad dream," she repeated to herself. "Just another bad dream…"

A rapping at her door stole her attention. If only she could leave the nightmare behind with her bed and her blankets. _Or better yet: lock it in the trunk,_ she mused. Her stomach lurched as she found her feet and fumbled to pull on her cloak and boots.

The knock came again.

"I'm coming!" she snapped, crossing the room swiftly. The door hissed open just a crack and she leaned on the frame to frown out at Robin.

Robin scrutinized her wet face and tousled hair. "Raven, are you _sure_ you're okay?"

Aware of his staring, Raven wiped her brow with her cuff. "Just a stomach bug," she grumbled.

"Don't you think you should see a doctor?" Robin hinted.

"They'd just tell me I have the flu and send me home. You probably shouldn't be so close, by the way," she advised, and pushed him a little further back with one finger. "I'll be fine."

"Just making sure," Robin cautiously stepped away to leave. "Remember, there's a store of medicine in the sickbay, if you need any."

Raven watched him go before shutting her door and dragging her feet over to the chest, where she fell to her knees. She sat a moment, her hand hovering over the lock as she debated. "On a scale of one to ten, how much do you want me to hate you?" she whispered, hopefully only to herself. The lock clicked and she pushed the lid back.

Malchior's book was still there, entirely silent as usual. But as in her nightmare, the rose stuck out the top.

Raven didn't touch the book. She folded her arms on the lip of the trunk and leaned there for a minute, watching for signs of life. "You need to stop trespassing into my dreams," she muttered, shutting her eyes for a moment.

_Last_ time he'd invaded her sleep, she had been in discomfort but nothing outright alarming stuck with her. She could only vaguely recall a storm of emotion and the silhouette of the false man crouching over her as she lay powerless in her bed, almost as if she were asleep but _aware._ Malchior had been sweetly whispering something, but she could remember no details beyond that, and perhaps that was for the better. It had left her feeling very awkward and high-strung the next day, and not even meditation helped ease her nerves. Her disquiet hadn't lasted, thankfully, and she'd later shrugged the off the odd dream as just one of those can't be explained.

Raven's eyes flew open now and she scrambled back. The blurry memory of a bizarre ritual – candles, vials, whispered words, _magic_ – rushed back to her clearly, and a notion struck her almost like a physical blow. To back up her fear and suspicions, she felt another wave of sickness.

"What did you do?" she hissed through her fingers, pulling herself up. _"What did you do?"_ Black sparks danced around her and she grit her teeth.

As expected, the book said nothing. He offered no explanation, no sinister chuckle, not even a contemptuous snort. In response to his silence, Raven slammed the trunk shut and locked it again.

She dug through her closet, digging out box containing a meager collection of civilian clothes. Raven quickly changed into jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt, frowning as she took the time to actually tie the laces of shoes. In front of the vanity mirror, she tucked her hair back under a beanie and grimly studied herself.

_This is stupid. No one will care or even notice you. You're overreacting,_ she told herself as she peeked out her door. The coast was clear. She tiptoed into the hall, and made it as far as the crime lab without getting caught.

"Hey, Robin," she called, knocking lightly on the door, and there was a shuffle inside. Something heavy _thunk_'d and rolled across the floor, confirming that Robin was indeed inside.

"Yeah, Raven?" he called back. As normal, something was too interesting for him to open the door, and that was just as well.

"I'm feeling a little better, so I'm heading out for a while. Don't miss me," she informed, and she turned away before he could even reply.

++X++

One foot on the first step of many, Raven stared up at the grand sign overhead that read _LIBRARY._ It was a little daunting coming here, even though she'd visited numerous of times before. It really wasn't so much the building that gave her the jitters as it was the reason for her being here. She swallowed back anxiety and walked up the steps like a normal human being.

Past the stone pillars and through the stained glass doors, the sound of pages turning and hushed resonating voices welcomed her in. It was a slow time of day, and only the librarians, a couple seniors, and a handful of collage kids hung around. A young volunteer with long red hair braided down her back looked up from her task and smiled warmly, nodding in greeting. Raven relaxed a little. There was nothing scary or threatening here. Life was going on as normal for these people.

She wound her way to the far staircase, creeping closer to the computers as she feigned browsing. _Just get it over with,_ said a disgruntled voice in her head.

"I'll get to it," she hissed to herself, and tucked the first fat novel she reached under her arm. Raven glanced at the book as she sat down at a computer. She rolled her eyes and puffed in exasperation. The cover claimed it to be a unique heartwarming tale of a girl and a horse. "It'll do," she muttered, setting it aside.

She logged on and brought up the web browser, all the while casting nervous glances behind herself. _Search it. Read it. Get out,_ droned the voice.

Raven grimaced every time she saw a woman's belly or other informative images, and was feeling sick again within moments. Chewing anxiously on her pinky nail, she spent a good while in front of the computer as she researched things she was too afraid to look up back home, as she suspected there was a chance she could get caught…and she _really_ didn't want to get caught staring at pregnant women in horror, or have Cyborg sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

Less than half an hour later, enough was enough.

"It's impossible," Raven consoled herself, standing abruptly and logging off. _Hyperactive imagination. That's all. That's all…_

She still wasn't convinced, although it was absurd to even consider it – there was absolutely no way – but without a doubt it would nag at her until she ruled it out. She racked her mind for other possibilities, truly finding comfort in the idea of having the flu or food poisoning.

Instead of heading straight for home, Raven took a detour to drop by a convenience store. It was the closest to the bay and the tower, so the team stopped here on occasion. Unlike some others, the manager was never thrilled to have the adolescent superheros in his store.

A bell jingled overhead, and the manager's son grunted in greeting, not sparing a glance up from his motorcycle magazine. Raven gladly returned the cold shoulder. She didn't once glance up at the surveillance camera watching over the two aisles at the back, but she was the sole reason the power cord was torn in half, rendering it out of commission.

She grabbed a bag of chips, and turned down the infant and feminine aisle. With the camera busted, no one saw her cringing as she allowed herself a five finger discount, dropping a small box into her shoulder bag. _This guy overcharges anyway,_ she thought to herself, feeling no remorse for this small theft.

The cashier suspected nothing as Raven paid for her chips and a box of tea. She breathed a sigh of relief that no alarms went off when she left, and hastily made her way home.

Back within the confines of the tower, Raven was not fortunate enough to make it to her room without being seen. She skulked past Cyborg and Beast Boy as the insufferable duo parted to let her through the hall, gaping at her.

"Yo, Cy, maybe you should hold off on fixing the security system," Beast Boy cracked, smothering a snicker.

Humoring him, Cyborg wondered aloud, "Why's that?" as though he had not seen Raven stalk between them.

Beast Boy gave a shrug as he stared after her. "Just thinkin', maybe more pretty strangers will wander in," he answered innocently, and Cyborg chortled. Beast Boy cupped his hands around his mouth to holler at Raven, "I like your pants!" as she hurried around the corner.

Agitated by the comment, she _flew_ the rest of the way to her bedroom.

++X++

Uncharacteristically late the next morning, Raven finally pulled herself out of bed. She dreaded the worst and hoped for the best as she got dressed for the day and headed for the bathroom. Overly cautious, she hid the skinny item in her cloak and cast constant glances over her shoulder to make sure no one was around.

Raven quietly moaned in contempt as she read the simple instructions once more. She told herself how stupid and paranoid she was acting, but took the test anyway. Tapping her foot impatiently, she gave the small devise a moment to give her the answer. Several times she resisted impatiently checking it, hoping…_praying_…it would give her a favorable answer.

After what seemed like an eternity, she opened her eyes and the impractical result was given to her. Raven froze completely for a minute. She checked the box multiple times, comparing the lines the test presented her as a steady stream of curses raced through her mind.

When she concluded that she wasn't seeing things, she thought for sure she felt her heard stop. The instant the idea settled in her brain, the light and the mirror shattered into a thousand pieces. Raven didn't flinch. She stood in the darkness for an extended period of time, not sure if she could even move.

A pounding on the door startled her out of her stupor.

"You've been in there _forever,"_ Beast Boy whined. Having had one too many cans of pop, he was afflicted with something much less dire albeit more uncomfortable. "What are you even doing, meditating on the toilet?"

Raven had to slap a hand over her mouth to stop a sudden burst of laughter. Embarrassment was the least of her concerns, though, she realized. Really feeling woozy now, she stumbled to the door in the dark. She opened it by hand, stepping right passed him. Swallowing hard, she managed just above a whisper, "Have at it."

Her laugh and weak attempt at sarcasm worried Beast Boy, but not as much as that weird dazed look she had as she leaned on the wall. He observed she was extra pallid today.

"Uhh, Rae? Is something wrong?" he called hesitantly, casting a look from the broken glass in the darkened bathroom to Raven's back as she walked away, one hand on the wall to steady herself. For the moment, he forgot about his urgent need to _go_ and caught up with her, slipping between her and the wall to let her lean on him instead. It was a little surprising that she didn't reflexively shove him away, and that only confirmed his suspicion that something was definitely amiss.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Knowing her, that was completely possible. It must've been an awful scary one, though, and he didn't want to imagine it.

"I'm fine," Raven croaked.

"You don't look fine," Beast Boy muttered. He narrowed his eyes as he thought for a second. "If I get sick too, I'm blaming you, I hope you know."

Had she not been battling against shock, she would have commented on it…and then maybe sent him through a wall. But as it were, it was all she could do to keep from exploding.

Helping her back to her room, Beast Boy couldn't help noticing she tried to keep her other arm safely hidden behind her robe. "So, whatcha hiding?" he piped when they reached the door. He leaned forward, catching a glimpse as she turned away. "Is that a wand? What were you up to, summoning spirits in the—_AH!"_

Raven lost it for a for a fraction of a second, and that was all it took. Dark energy smashed her teammate into the opposite wall the moment he reached for her other arm. She seemed to have recovered a bit, judging from how red her face was now. She spun on her heel, swiftly retreating into her bedroom and slamming the door.

"How come any time I try to do something nice, she tries to kill me?" Beast Boy muttered to himself when her black magic dissipated.


	3. Bargain with a Witch

Oh man, I've been _busy. _D:  
Matilda is based off my Grandma. My grandma is great. :3 Love her. Plus I guess I wanted to watch the movie _Matilda_ when I wrote this part probably, now the name's stuck.

_~Asio_

* * *

**3. Bargain with a Witch**

For a time, Raven completely refused to believe what some dumb little stick claimed. This was some weird fluke. Her mind was playing a trick on her – a really nasty trick. It was Gizmo's fault. He planted the idea in her brain, and now it was haunting her. Raven firmly believed this, and it helped her get over the initial shock of honestly believing such a wretched thing could have happened. She'd believed that accepting it was imaginary would make it go away.

It was exceedingly difficult to accept it as her imagination, though, when she daily found herself crouching woozily over the toilet or the nearest waste bin. The horrible knowledge that this was no hoax constantly pricked her like a thorn, and she was buried deep in her spellbooks before the week was up.

_Why me? I didn't do anything to deserve this, _Raven told herself as she poured over her books for the umpteenth time, searching for a spell to aid her in her dilemma. She was certain there was a spell here that could counter this curse. Raven reasoned that it shouldn't be overly difficult to find such spells on her shelf – there had been plenty of witches back in the day, and witches weren't strictly recluses.

Either it was a natural part of who and what she was, or Malchior had put in place an enchantment to protect Raven's new burden. This was the conclusion she drew anyway, discovering that none of the hexes she'd cast upon herself worked as they properly should have. She had tried a handful of outdated and dangerous methods already. As bad luck would have it, there would be no quick fix.

"Maybe I could visit Jinx and let her hit me with all she's got," Raven dolefully speculated.

Sure, sometimes she threw down her books to question herself about morality, but she always picked them up again to resume skimming through page after page. The team didn't see much of her while she was at it, assuming she still laid up with the flu, and she was glad they were unaware of her frantic reading.

Raven was in the midst of gathering the items for yet another ritual when there was a knock at the door. At the end of her wits and far too easy to startle, she dropped a jar of white powder. It rolled across the floor, the lid popping off and spilling the fine dust. Raven swore under her breath as she left the mess. The candles were extinguished on her way to the door, which she cracked open just enough to glower out from behind. Her room was an utter disaster right now and she'd rather no one saw it but herself.

"Cyborg," Raven said, surprised but somewhat relieved. She slipped out, quickly shutting the door and leaning against it before he could see the clutter.

"Hey," he greeted in return, and he took a moment to look her over peculiarly. Her hair lacked the usual luster and there was a dribble of dried blood on her knee. She was paler than normal, and her eyes were weary. Judging by the way she guarded her room now, she was hiding something even more worrying inside. "Uhh…Really, Raven, are you sure you're doing all right?"

Having been spacing out in the brief moment of silence, Raven was taken aback by Cyborg's concern. She wasn't sure how to respond to it, so she decided to lie. "I'm fine," she mumbled, ignoring the fact that it was very obvious she was not. "You probably shouldn't be here. You might catch whatever I have." Immediately, Raven cringed as a disturbing image came to mind.

"You look like you could use some sleep," Cyborg advised, the darker-than-usual marks under Raven's eyes not going unnoticed. "I'm going to make an appointment for you—"

"_Don't,"_ she growled dangerously, and Cyborg took a step back. She cleared the threat from her voice, and tried that again, but calmly. "Don't. I'll be fine. I'll figure it out."

"Figure what—?"

"Nothing." Raven slipped back into her room.

Cyborg stuck his bulky foot in the way before the door could shut. "Here," he said, holding out a huge hand. In his palm was a dwarfed bottle of medicine. "Try taking a couple of these whenever you don't feel so hot. Should help you feel better. Probably won't help with your stomach much, though."

Raven reluctantly took the pills offered to her, muttering her thanks. She cast Cyborg a wary look, waiting for him to remove his foot so she could return to her solitude.

"By the way, what'd you do to make BB so scared of you?" the hulking eldest asked before Raven could force him back to shut the door.

"What do you mean?" she asked, not even trying to sound at least a little bit sincere. There was no reason the shapeshifter _shouldn't _be afraid of her.

"He was too chicken to come here himself," Cyborg explained, nodding to the pills, which had been Beast Boy's suggestion.

Raven's brow knit together in a scowl, and gestured for him to look over his shoulder. Cyborg rarely passed by her door, seeing as he had no particular business in this stretch of the South wing. He only now realized the indentation in the wall. With his attention elsewhere, Raven took the chance to withdraw back to the confines of her bedroom, certain to lock the door from the inside.

When she was sure that Cyborg had left, she reignited the nearest set of candles to read the label on the bottle, doubtful it would help her. It was the warning label that caught her eye and made the metaphorical light bulb come on above her head. She gulped down two tablets on the way to her window. She lazily wondered if she could make the sky go dark if she stared long enough.

Raven shoved a stack of books off her bed and bundled up in the comforter to spitefully glower out the clear blue sky. She was beyond exhausted. Her eyelids got too heavy to hold open and the softness of her bed soon helped slumber to overtake her. She really did need some rest, as she'd been flipping through books nonstop for far too long. To show for it, she had a number of paper cuts.

She felt heaps better when she woke up, but it _still_ wasn't dusk yet. The most she had to be grateful for was that she felt no nausea as she gathered a fresh change of clothes and hit the shower. Misery was no excuse to forego personal hygiene and tangled hair didn't feel so great either.

When Raven deemed herself presentable – at least, she didn't look like the walking dead anymore – she joined the others in ops to try acting a little _normal._ Worried and curious gazed were trained on her, and she braced for the obnoxious inquiry. But her friends said nothing, not once daring to question if she was well again, as she fixed her tea.

Raven turned around to see Starfire and Beast Boy both sitting on the counter, watching her like a pair of hawks. "What?" she bitterly shot at them.

"We have not seen you up and around in quite some time," Starfire piped.

Beast Boy added, "You look good – _better,_ I mean."

Just to cheer herself up – being menacing did have its upside – Raven locked eyes with Beast Boy and feigned a lunge forward, hissing in the back of her throat. That was all it took. Predictably, he startled and fell backwards off the counter with a yelp. "He is too easy," Raven muttered over to Starfire. She got her kicks, and she was tired of company now.

She would have rather returned to her room, but Raven made herself stay anyway. The girls sat together on the sofa, Raven sipping tea and Starfire watching her out of the corner of her eye, badly wishing to press Raven for verbal confirmation that she was in good health. With any luck, this low crime rate would be over with soon and they'd have butt-kicking to distract Raven from worrying thoughts. No alarms sounded, and she gave herself about an hour in ops, to let her friends know she _was_ still alive, before returning to her room to get ready.

Starfire clearly hadn't had enough of her yet, because she caught Raven on her way to the roof. Raven tried not to glare in irritation when Starfire's cheerful grin met her halfway there. She was dressed casual for an outing…and coincidentally, so was Raven. She hoped desperately that she wouldn't, but she did anyway: Starfire opened her mouth to speak.

"_Raven!_ I was just on my way to find you," the beaming girl informed, turning to walk alongside her friend as Raven tried to pass her.

In her glee, she raised up into the air. Starfire was undeterred by Raven's mood, so clearly she was successful at keeping the demonic frown off her face. Not that letting the inner demon show was a good thing – it's just Raven occasionally willingly fell back on it last resort to deter company.

Starfire linked arms with her now as she kept pace, if one could call it that, as she hovered just inches above the ground. "I was thinking – some fresh air and the sun's rays may do you some good."

"Sunlight? Ew," Raven said bitterly, but it only made Starfire giggle. "There's actually somewhere I need to go, so–," but Starfire cut her off.

"Then we can go together," she offered happily.

"I'd love to, but–"

"Great. It is settled," Starfire said, pulling Raven away. Try as she might, there was no getting out of it without actually running away or playing sick.

++X++

Raven tolerated the mall for as long as she could with the help of a milkshake or two. It really wasn't so bad. There were worse tortures she could be subjected to than watching Starfire model in various outfits – such as being pressured to try on outfits herself, with Starfire picking them out. She wasn't keen on admitting it, but there was some enjoyment to be had in it.

Starfire had to try everything on at least once before she was content to visit the next store. She left with a few more skirts, a couple of shirts, and a pair of boots, whereas Raven's only purchase were slippers Starfire had urged her to get. For the final hours of daylight, the alien girl led the way through a jewelry store, a shop that specialized in cooking and dining wares, and a furniture store that Starfire eventually got them kicked out of for loitering.

Just as they were about to leave the mall, Starfire let out a squeal of excitement and dashed into one last store. Raven let out an outward groan at the sign above the door that read _Pet Shop._ Fighting back a scowl, she followed Starfire into the stuffy little shop that smelled of stale water with a hint of animal waste. Covering her nose with her sleeve, Raven wondered sourly if this is what a certain fellow Titan's room smelled like. She put it on her personal agenda to not answer that anytime soon.

One wall of the shop was a light blue-green, lined with a couple dozen fish tanks. At the front window was a pen of puppies. At the back were squawking, fluttering birds. Starfire was in awe over a stand full of reptile and amphibian tanks now, watching fat yellow snake slide around on its stomach, tongue flicking out as it tracked Starfire's finger.

"I don't see what's so great here. Beast Boy can turn into any of these," Raven complained, giving a toad that was eyelevel with her a dirty look. The bumpy creature shrank in instinctive fear and backed away into hiding a moment later.

"Yeah, but who'd wanna hang out with a dork like that?" replied a young man's voice. It was familiar through several brief encounters, but not particularly well known. It piqued her interest though.

Raven turned and raised an eyebrow at the boy with the dark clothes and deadpan stare. "Good point," she said, slipping away from Starfire's side to stand off just around the corner of the aisle. "Let me guess – you work here?" she asked in a hushed tone. She half expected to see him standing with a broom or a snake on his arm, but he had neither of those.

With no one but her to see, he flashed a crooked little smile. "Nah."

"So then you're stalking me." Raven folded her arms across her chest and eyed him quizzically. This guy had a suspicious way of being in the right place at the right time.

The Goth Boy gave a careless shrug. "I just keep an eye out for ya," he said sincerely, and nodded toward Starfire with a less than pleased look on his face. "What's the deal with her?"

"Just some quality time between teammates," Raven explained, looking over her shoulder at Starfire, who was now trying to coax a parrot into imitating her.

A clock on the back wall caught her eye, and suddenly only one thing interested her now. "Gotta run. Catch you later," she said hastily. She cast Goth Boy one last puzzled glance on the way out, which was met with a blank stare but a skewed smirk.

Starfire whined about being pulled away from all the curious little animals in the store. When they made it to the parking lot, escaping the hustle and bustle of the shopping center, Starfire was shocked and vaguely disappointed that the streetlights were already on, the sky a deep blue now with only the brightest stars shining above. There was no trace of dusk left in the clouds as they started off for Raven's destination of choice.

Despite Raven's best attempts to dissuade her, Starfire faithfully would not leave her side, not even when they came to an especially bleak neighborhood. This district did worry Starfire, and more than once Raven had to remind her that she'd prefer she kept her distance. Raven soon gave up prying her friend from her arm.

Ahead there was a congregation of parked vehicles and a boisterous throng of smokers, with some quieter individuals standing off from the main group. Starfire breathed a sigh of relief when Raven took her by the wrist and pulled her down an alley, away from the rowdy cluster and the cloud of smoke. Starfire still had a bad feeling about this. "_Raven,"_ she whined, "this is a bar. Surely you have the wrong address."

"No one forced you to come," Raven reminded her, glancing both ways before daring to reach for the handle. She stood in the doorway, casting a look back at Starfire. "You can wait out here if you want."

When a group of stumbling drunken men came around the corner, Starfire made up her mind and hurried in after her friend. The door swung shut just behind her and a light flickered on in the cold desolate hallway. Raven led the way through the narrow corridor and down a flight of stairs, the thrum of music growing louder with each step. As they passed the door from which the sound pounded the loudest, it began to fade.

Starfire breathed a tiny sigh of relief that they weren't taking a back door into the pub after all. Her hopes fell when around another corner and down more steps, just below the pub, was _another_ door that spilled a raucous music. Perhaps the pub above had a downstairs after all, she fretted, although the genre of music had suspiciously gone from rock to techno. She whimpered at Raven's side.

Raven tried not to look too entertained by her friend's discomfort. "Maybe you _should_ wait out here," she suggested.

But Starfire shook her head and jumped behind Raven when a trio of black-clad boys exited the nightclub and cast interested looks in their direction. Two of them, namely the twins, seemed to have changed their minds about leaving and followed the girls in without speaking a word to them, flanking them at a slight distance. The odd one out was soon all but breathing down Raven's neck. She fought the urge to walk any faster or aggressively turn on the stranger who seemed to have no idea of personal space.

"New recruits, Pocket?" one of the twins whispered.

"Doubtful. Ma would've told me," replied the odd one out, presumably _Pocket._

Starfire clung to Raven's cloak, afraid to lose her in the confusion of the flashing strobe lights. They skirted their way around the dance floor and the jostling throng, tailed by the looming trio. She ran into her when Raven suddenly stopped at a counter and exchanged words with the bartender, who pointed at the ceiling. Raven pulled her away again before she could say anything.

"Please explain why we are here?" Starfire begged, raising her voice to speak above the deafening music. She stepped closer as a scowling man with metal studs jutting out of his head walked by uncomfortably near.

"_I'm_ picking something up. _You're_ just tagging along," Raven informed, and sat her friend down at a table. "I'll be back in a minute. Don't go anywhere, don't talk to strangers, and especially don't drink anything." Raven just hoped Star would do as told as she left her to head up a creaky spiral staircase.

Raven hesitated before she reached the very last step. "Ma'am?" she called politely through the bead curtain before her.

"Come in, dear," replied a deep woman's voice. As if pulled by invisible strings, the curtain parted to let Raven in. She gave a quick look around the entry before deeming it relatively safe.

The loft above the bar was shrouded by curtains of black stone beads which reflected the colorful flashing lights below. Due to an unseen boundary, though, the commotion could not be heard in the loft once Raven crossed over the threshold. In the center of the room were a matching pair of luxurious black leather sofas with furry white pillows on either side of a glass coffee table, at the far end of which was a large recliner occupied by an equally large woman. The one solid wall had shelves full of masks, figurines, old bones, books, crystal balls, a Ouija board, and other miscellaneous objects fixed up for display purposes. The room was lit by a sparkling ornamental chandelier. Smoke from the woman's pipe and incense hung in the air as a fragrant nose-burning cloud.

"You came in through Jump City doorway, right?" questioned the woman pleasantly, and she puffed from her pipe as she awaited response. But the cat had Raven's tongue, so the woman turned her attention fully on her, gazing into her eyes as Raven nodded mutely. "Now what could bring a pretty young lady to a fat old woman's office?" she wondered aloud as she stood, tossing a novel down on her chair. Her silky black dress fell around her thick ankles and her layers of bracelets and necklaces jangled as she stepped up to Raven, scrutinizing her carefully.

Raven couldn't seem to find the words to explain why she had come. Her voice caught in her throat. _Turn back. Find help somewhere else,_ warned a voice in her head. That really would have been the wise thing to do. There were other options. But she was already here. Might as well see what the witch could offer.

The woman, Matilda was her name, held her pipe to her lips for a long moment. She didn't once blink as her eyes slide down and she stared thoughtfully at Raven's midsection. Matilda was briefly surprised, her eyes lighting up before she looked back to Raven's face. "Interesting. You've got _something_ in you and you want it out," she stated. "But if you yourself know magic, why would you come to _me?"_

Did Matilda have X-ray vision? Raven's expression contorted in a grimace. What else could the witch see? She answered the question anyway, finally opening her mouth to let the words practically tumble out. "I thought that since you specialize in love potions, you might have solutions to some of the problems you cause," Raven said stiffly.

Matilda's body shook with laughter. "True, very true," she guffawed. As she continued, the delight faded from her voice and a solemn expression crossed her pudgy face. She spoke grimly, "But your situation is not quite the same, is it? It's different."

"Nothing I tried worked," Raven admitted before she could stop herself. Were the incense getting to her head or what?

"And you came to me because you need this to stay hush-hush. I get it, I get it," Matilda said with an understanding nod. "Definitely an interesting situation, but this could be problematic, you understand. Have you tried breaking the spell defending it?" she threw out the idea, and Raven nodded grimly. Matilda continued to hum thoughtfully and rub her chin, eyeing Raven as she contemplated. "I can give it my best shot. You are sure this is what you want?"

"Positive," Raven said.

"And what will you give me for it?"

"Probably anything but my soul," Raven grumbled crossly, careful with her words.

The heavy witch spun around and silently crossed the tile floor to go scan her shelves. She took a small gold saucer, blew into it, and polished it with her shawl. "My clients would like to see a new face around. I'm sure they'd love to see yours," she said, returning. Matilda caught Raven's fleeting look of distress and added sweetly, "Just one week?"

"Wouldn't you rather cash?" Raven asked uneasily, stepping back.

Matilda chortled. "One week of your service and I could make more than you could pay, and I know there are some boys who would _love_ to see you," she said with a wink.

"You realize I'm not even old enough to–," Raven was cut off by Matilda's sudden sharp glare.

"My, my, my, what kind of work do you think I'm giving you?" she drawled. Every ounce of sweetness was replaced with ice for an instant. "Do you want the potion or not?" To this, Raven gave a silent nod and a smile stretched across Matilda's face once more. "Good, good," she said enthusiastically, and took her by the wrist. Raven winced. In a swift movement the witch sliced her palm with a little silver blade, the golden tray hovering just under to collect the dripping blood.

When the witch released her, Raven clenched her fist and glowered.

"I'll be back in just a minute," Matilda sang, and disappeared behind a door nestled between the shelves. There was a clatter, a rumble, and a small flash of blue light.

_Either clumsy and unskilled or a showoff,_ Raven thought sourly, shaking her head. Both notions gave her a sense this woman was highly untrustworthy. She'd had no idea agreeing would result in having her hand cut – Matilda should have really made that clear before. Raven frowned at her fist, relaxing it just enough to see the blood still seeping from the insignificant wound. Maybe untrustworthy was an understatement?

When she tried to take a peek into the special room, which she suspected was little more than a closet, Matilda exited with a thin cloud of smoke trailing behind her. "Here you are," she announced, and wrapped Raven's clean hand around a glass flask containing a murky substance. "Let's have you take one of these nightly for a week, and see how it works for you."

"What, one shot doesn't fix it all?" Raven grumbled, inspecting the bottle skeptically.

Matilda's laughter boomed as she turned Raven around. "Ho ho, no. _That_ takes a whole month to brew, and I'm all out of stock." The curtains parted as Matilda pushed her new recruit out. "You take that just before bed, and I expect to see you tomorrow at sunset. Hurry along, now, I believe your friend is in need of your charm."

The blaring dance music filled her ears as she stepped onto the small platform in front of Matilda's office entry. Before she could question the witch, a glimpse of Starfire below, cornered by the three guys from earlier, caught her attention. The witch was now the least of her concern.

In the blink of an eye, Raven materialized behind them. One twin noticed her sudden appearance, and he took a hasty step away, gawking at her as if he'd seen a ghost. "Try chasing your own kind," Raven snapped in warning as she sidestepped through the trio to collect Starfire.

"For instance, _you?"_ the other twin shot back, grinning deviously.

"Are you three even old enough to be here?" Raven retorted. She started for the door and Starfire was keen on following close beside her.

"No offence, but you look underage yourself," the odd one out added. "Sign a contract with Ma?"

Raven made no comment, silently remarking, _son of a witch, _as she hauled Starfire out of the joint. Thankfully, the trio fell back. Raven cast an irked glance over her shoulder, noticing that Matilda was having a little chat with them. Their heads were hung low as she smiled falsely at the boys. Whether the witch had held them up for the girls' sake or if she sincerely needed a word with them, Raven was just glad it gave her the opportunity to get away without anymore issues.

Starfire didn't dare speak until they were outside in the cool night air, alone in the vacant alleyway. "I do not wish to go there ever again," she breathed, and added as an afterthought, "at least not without Robin."

"You can't bring Robin here," Raven quickly ordered, casting a heated frown to her. Starfire was apparently still shaken after whatever had happened while she'd been left alone, and Raven scrambled for words to comfort her. "I told you that you didn't have to come. You'll be all right, Star. Don't let those guys get to you," she added, honestly trying to be reassuring. After a moment, her words seemed to take effect, as she noticed Starfire's nerves calming.

Starfire watched her friend closely as Raven pulled the cork out of a little bottle and took a gulp from it. "What is that?" she questioned as Raven's face contorted at the taste.

"_Disgusting, _that's what," Raven said with a frown. It was tart, bitter, and burned on the way down her throat, settling in her stomach like a hot coal. Somehow, though, it still tasted better than vomit. She downed the rest of it, completely forgetting about Matilda's advice to wait. She of course didn't remember until it was too late. Nothing felt wrong, so she shrugged it off and took to the sky after Starfire.

++X++

Bearing dead-weight in her arms, Starfire peeked through the main door into ops. She'd made it safely this far, but she was in a bit of a bind and in need of a helping hand. She was relieved to find Beast Boy and Cyborg were absorbed in smashing buttons with their thumbs as they played a round against one another on the GameStation. Their self-appointed leader was nowhere in sight, likely occupied with polishing tools or rereading newspaper articles. Whatever Robin was busy with, at least he was not here to see this.

Starfire sighed in relief and carried her sleeping friend to the sofa, casting a quick worried glance at the two preoccupied boys.

Noticing them out of the corner of his eye, Beast Boy intended to spare a quick glance over at the girls. He caught himself staring instead, which proved fatal for his virtual character onscreen, although that really wasn't all that important anymore. He looked up to Starfire, expecting an explanation.

Cyborg abruptly threw his arms in the air and let out a shout of triumph. When he turned to Beast Boy to rub it in, he too caught sight of Raven out cold and his excitement ebbed to be replaced with surprised concern. "Star? What–?," Cyborg started.

Nervously crossing her arms, she looked to the door. "I do not think Robin will be pleased," she said in a tiny voice. "We had gone to do the hanging out, and there was a party, and then Raven drank something, and soon after she started talking this nonsense about the boys which we met and then halfway across the bay she just _fell!_ Now I cannot wake her."

Cyborg pried, "What did she drink?"

"Clearly something potent." Starfire held up the flask Raven had been carrying.

"Rae can't hold her liquor," Beast Boy snickered, recognizing the shape of the little glass bottle. He took it from Starfire and gave it a sniff, scrunching his nose up at it. He dropped it on the cushion next to Raven. "Hey – anyone got a pen?" He jumped over the back of the sofa and went off in search of a marker.

Starfire turned her troubled gaze to Cyborg. "Robin has enough to worry about, and Raven is incapable of unlocking her door, so could you…?"

"On it," he said, and lifted Raven as though she were a fragile – life sized – china doll, cradling the comatose girl in one arm. He was on his way out the door when Beast Boy dashed back to obstruct the way, evidently successful in his quest. He held a fat black marker in one hand and wore a mischievous grin on his face. Cyborg gave him a stern look and held him back at a safe distance from Raven.

"It's _harmless,"_ Beast Boy assured impishly, pointing out the _nontoxic _label on the side. "See?"

Cyborg put no further effort into stopping Beast Boy, but he did feel it was only fair to remind him, "She's gunna kill you. You know that, right?"

Beast Boy snickered, "Yeah, but it'll be worth it," and Cyborg turned a blind eye towards the ceiling as the green boy set to work. He might as well write his will and dig his grave now.

* * *

**A/N**

BB is a boob, you are welcome.

_~Asio_


	4. Drama Queen

The editing fairy decided to double the length of this one, and that is why I suck at editing. :'D The original title to this chapter was _Curiosity_ but I think I'll change it because of reasons. Mwahaha. Please pardon the wait if you've minded it any.

_~Asio_

* * *

**4. Drama Queen**

Raven woke later than usual the next morning, and the first thing to hit her was a throbbing headache and a strange notion of her brain swimming in her head. When the dizzy spell settled, the first thing to come to mind was the question: _How did I get home?_ Promptly following it was yet another bout of stomach upset.

A portion of her life she would never get back was miserably spent dry heaving, and the most she had to be thankful for was that no foul taste graced her this fine morning. It still made her feel awful, and she promptly washed up at the bathroom sink.

It was at this point that she paused, staring into her own reflection. Much to her displeasure, she found ink scrawled across the face staring back at her. The mirror – which had only just been replaced – nearly broke again. Instead, the bottle of mouthwash imploded in her surprise. Raven took a deep breath and, still seething, tried to wash away her new ink mustache and unibrow. But when it wouldn't scrub away, she left in a fume.

She could probably kick a kitten right now and not be sorry. A green kitten, ideally.

The tower alarms might as well have gone off when she stormed into ops where the three boys and Starfire sat around with their breakfasts. Robin was the first to see Raven coming, and his eyes widened in concern – not just at the scribbles on her face, but the furious silent snarl she wore. The others looked up to see what had him so worried.

It was Beast Boy, seated on a barstool at the counter, who made the first sound in Raven's presence, gulping audibly as he shrank down with nowhere to hide. If he became a hummingbird now, would he have time to escape out a side exit?

"_You!"_ Raven accused, and the green fool dove off his stool to literally _duck_ behind the counter.

"I told you, man," Cyborg called from his place at the table.

Raven struggled with herself. She badly wanted to wring his scrawny little mallard neck, but having an outburst wouldn't solve anything. The very least she let herself get by with was upturning his glass over his head. Himself again, Beast Boy crouched guiltily on the floor with soymilk dripping down his face, waiting for the worst of Raven's anger, but nothing more came. "Mark my words," she growled through her teeth, "I will get you back sevenfold."

And then as quickly as she'd appeared, Raven was gone in a wisp of shadows.

Just outside the door, she paused, breathed, and recollected herself. She tried to think of what she could do to him, but shook her head. _Retaliation and "revenge" over a stupid ink doodle is pointless,_ she consoled. _I won't stoop to his level. Even if it would be totally justified. _Exhaling, she let the vengeful thoughts leave her, and urgently headed for the roof for fresh air to help clear her mind and meditation with her back to the city.

Karma would catch up to him, sooner or later. Although preferably sooner.

If the others had succeeded in convincing Beast Boy to "go apologize" she would have surely chucked him as far out into the ocean as possible without a second thought or remorse. To her relief, she was left alone on the roof for a considerable hunk of time. The session helped her calm herself enough to wind her way back through the corridors without hunting down the dweeb to harm or murder him. Raven gave herself a grudging imaginary pat on the back for letting him live this long.

She picked up some supplies and returned to the bathroom for a hot bath as well as to scrub the ink off her face. Roughly an hour of hogging the bathroom passed as she focused her mind of peaceful things, like a pleasant story she'd recently read. Good thoughts were unfortunately not distracting enough. Throwing a blackened rag down into the sink, she pondered for a moment more, attempting to rekindle that anger from earlier. She sighed, reminding herself, _Don't stoop to his level._

Still, Raven idly mused over it, taking pleasure in the idea of emptying a pack of thumbtacks in his bed, or replacing his soymilk with dairy, or maybe just inconveniencing him by hiding all of the TV remotes. How hard could it be to get the sofa onto the roof? She rubbed her temple, telling herself, _Knock it off,_ one last time.

As fate would have it, her day remained undisturbed for quite some time. Raven returned to her books, studying spells that had already failed her once. Perhaps she had messed something up the times before? Just like everyone else, she wasn't perfect. She could make errors. She was certain she'd followed them all perfectly, though. The instructions must be flawed – every last one of them.

She'd take a break whenever her discouragement was topped with a stomach grumble – which was about every two hours. A visit to the kitchen for a hot mug of tea and a meager bite to eat was really the only time she was seen, and no one wanted talk to her in fear she'd reflexively lash out at them. Raven was growing irritated that no emergencies had spurred the team into action, and once she halfheartedly sang to herself, _"Where have all the villains gone?"_

The falling sun set the sea and sky on fire as it loomed above the horizon of the ocean. The day drawing to a dreadful close, anxiety set in heavily. Raven found herself meditating in front of her window, hoping to have herself as under control as possible for tonight. There was no telling what that witch had in store. Washing dishes was possibly too good to hope for.

Her change in demeanor from angry to flighty didn't go unnoticed, and the team chatted briefly amongst themselves until Beast Boy's ears picked up on her footsteps and he hushed them in time. Sure, Raven was quiet, but not usually _that _quiet, and definitely not that jumpy. Besides her initial threat at breakfast, she hadn't said a word to anyone, despite her several appearances throughout the day, and it wasn't hard to suspect something was still wrong. She looked all better now, even if she did have a distant look to her, and the gang was immensely curious what was up. No one dared to press her for answers, though, not even Starfire.

By the end of the day, Beast Boy's peers had urged him to apologize for the offense, although he was reluctant as ever to even go near the temperamental girl. It was only when they turned their backs, abandoning the task of persuading him for the time being, that he dared to attempt it. Beast Boy took the walk of shame alone, all the while fearing Raven's wrath. She could do a number of horrible things if she put her mind to it, and making him wet his pants wasn't even close to the top of the list.

When he finally mustered the guts to actually knock on her door, the _thud_ of a heavy book falling let him know she was in fact still alive. The door opened part way, and Raven peered out. She didn't look at all happy to see him, her glare smoldering spitefully. By now, he wouldn't have expected anything less. The scribbles were gone, so there was nothing left to snicker about.

"Think of any good tortures for me?" Beast Boy sheepishly asked.

Anticipating a joke to be cracked any moment now, Raven narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Not yet."

When she tried to close the door, Beast Boy reached out to hold it open, and almost had a moment to be glad she didn't deliberately smash his fingers. He'd probably deserve whatever punishment she threw at him. "I'm sorry," he blurted, trying to keep eye contact.

"Next time you decide to violate someone by drawing on their _face,_ at least make sure it's not _permanent ink,"_ Raven growled.

"Wait!" he exclaimed as she shoved him back. "I – _we_ were wondering if you wanted to come out and watch a movie with us. Cy made heaps of popcorn, and we could use someone to help us get rid of it," he tried.

Raven didn't retort to the hint at her new snacking habit. There was a moment that her glare softened and she honestly looked as though she were considering joining everyone in ops. Before she could take a step out the door to actually go with Beast Boy, she winched with a tiny startled gasp, as if she'd been stung by a bee. The palm of her hand was suddenly more concerning than lazing with the team, and she shrank back into her shadowy bedroom. "I have to go," was all she muttered before her door slammed shut.

"Okay!" Beast Boy called with forced enthusiasm. "I'll just…see you later then." Even if she hadn't confirmed forgiveness, at least he'd managed to say the magic word. She'd even glared at him a little less hatefully. That would have to be enough. "You'll still be out bright and early for practice, right?"

He gave it a moment but when Raven didn't reply, he reluctantly returned to the others for movie night. While Cyborg and Robin argued over what film to watch – time travel or ninjas? – and Starfire busied herself with carrying over popcorn by the armful, Beast Boy threw himself down on the sofa. At the same time, he thought he saw a black streak cross the bay and tipped his head curiously. The others were too distracted to have seen it too.

"Raven's not coming," he announced when Robin won his pick of movie.

"Is the stomach bug of hers back?" Starfire wondered worriedly.

When Starfire started for the exit, Beast Boy was quick to usher her back to the sofa. "After all that food she ate today, I bet she's trying to sleep it off," he covered. A movie sounded better than nosing into Raven's business, and if the others realized she was gone, the movie might be called off. He couldn't see the logic in meddling when there was hot popcorn and bottles of pop calling his name.

++X++

Despite Raven's altered routine, she seemed to be over the worst of her sickness, and occasionally Starfire would inform her of how _wondrous_ it was she wasn't sick anymore. She still had nausea, but it was nothing like before. When both Robin and Cyborg recommended she see a doctor anyway, she downright refused to do so, slamming shut the door before they could see the panic flash over her. What in the world would a doctor say about all this? She shuddered at the mere idea.

For several consecutive days, the first sighting of Raven was usually some time after nine AM. Once she slept in until noon before Starfire came to check on her. Fatigued, Raven now counted herself fortunate that criminal activity was so low, but she still forced herself out to train with the team, albeit halfheartedly. Although it was well known that she was no longer the early riser she'd once been, no one thought too much of it until Robin felt it would be good exercise to respond to an emergency that, of course, the police could very well take care of by themselves.

They were summoned at the crack of dawn to take down a typical armed bank robber. The biggest clue that something was wrong with Raven occurred when they arrived on the scene. She wobbled in the air and staggered when her feet met solid ground. The team paid it no mind, though perhaps if they had taken a closer look, they would have seen her groggily swaying slightly, or heard her humming idly. Her belt had been left behind and the frazzled girl stood barefoot. Raven was all but off in her own little world, wrongly believing this was all just a dream and too airheaded to realize otherwise.

Beast Boy was first to get a witty word in. "Guess the early bird gets the worm," he remarked, shooting Robin a glance. It was at that moment when Raven snorted and broke into a fit of unforeseen laughter, and Beast Boy skeptically looked past Robin to the ditzy teammate.

"_Funny,"_ Raven mumbled, wiping away tears with her cuff as the lights above flickered and shattered. This was completely unlike her, but that didn't matter because this was a dream. Four pairs of eyes stared at her with worry and surprise, but at this time she could hardly comprehend the meaning of their expressions.

The burglar, who'd been just as shocked as the Titans by the out-of-place outburst, spoke up then. "Pardon my interruption, but could you _step aside?"_ politely requested the man before making a brave run for the front doors, dashing right between Raven and Starfire.

Just as Robin shouted, "Stop him!" Raven whirled on the crook and with her powers she knocked his feet out from under him. He rolled back onto his feet and took a pop at her with a pistol. Raven leaned out of the way in the nick of time, a look of understanding barely flickering across her face. A clean round bullet hole was left in her cloak, and her gaze turned deadly a moment later.

"Some gentleman you are," she sneered venomously. Before anyone could stop her, she threw out her hand, making a fist as black energy enveloped the man, and slammed him against the ceiling, knocking him for a loop.

"_Raven!"_ Robin gasped in dismay as she sent the common criminal crashing through the glass windows of the bank and into the street.

Cyborg was quick to seize Raven when she tried to go after the crook. Starfire followed Robin out the window to disarm the man – and be sure he was okay, too. Beast Boy stood nearby, watching his best friend hold onto their writhing teammate. "What is with you, girl?" Cyborg asked as Raven's thrashing continued. Teleporting out of his arms never occurred to her.

Suddenly she relaxed, practically limp, but Cyborg didn't trust her enough to release her yet. There was now a glazed detached cast to her eyes. Slumped in his grip, Raven tipped her head curiously to the side, gazing out at the street. _"Oh,"_ she breathed as if in awe. "The cops are here now." For a moment, she squirmed unenthusiastically before pausing to stifle a yawn. "May I go back to…?" She didn't get to finish the question because she went lights-out on the spot. It was as though someone had hit an off switch.

Cyborg cocked an eyebrow. "Going out on a limb here and saying something's still wrong with her," he grimly stated, and threw a look over to Robin as the boy returned to see what the holdup was. Cyborg heaved Raven over his shoulder like a sack and headed for the T-car. "You think whatever's she's got is getting worse?"

Robin rubbed his chin. "I'll talk with her later," he assured.

Following behind them, staring oddly at Raven in this comatose state, Beast Boy badly wanted to spill the beans, to tell his buddy all about how he'd been spying on Raven for the past few nights from the cobwebs of her bookcase. He kept his mouth shut tight, though, uttering not a single word, and certainly nothing about how she left for someplace at nightfall and got back at a quarter 'til one every morning. He didn't mention the cut on her hand that was freshened nightly and bleeding again when she arrived home. Whatever she was up to, he had to wonder if it was worth drinking from that glass flask Star had shown them the other evening. Whatever it held, Raven always made a displeased face at it, drinking it in one gulp as fast as possible.

It was probably for the best that he kept his mouth shut, for his own sake, no matter if good sense told him he should speak up. If the others found out, Raven would find out – and if Raven found out, there was no telling how much trouble he'd _really_ be in for sneaking into her room, let alone spying on her.

++X++

Fully aware and humiliated that her earlier display had in actuality _not been a dream,_ Raven again kept to herself for the better part of the day, although this time it was in mortification. She never stopped to chat and was thankful that she was able to go undetected on most of her trips to the kitchen – although that was mainly thanks to everyone either working out in the gym, playing dodge ball on the roof, or coddling a squishy yellow larva.

Practice that evening helped distract Raven from her growing dread. It was nothing major, just some moderately lax exercise involving chucked disks and a barrage of starbolts. Hundreds of feet above the island, the girls would dodge the projectiles while the boys watched the mid-air maneuvers. Kicking it up a gear at Raven's mocking yawn, Starfire chased her friend clear to the other end of the tower.

During their game of cat and mouse, Starfire got the better of her when Raven became distracted. The faint burning sensation was easy to ignore at first, but before the sun could even threaten to fall into the bay, it felt as though Raven had put her hand down on a bed of hot coals – and that was the moment when Starfire knocked her down with a weak shot.

"Raven! Are you all right?" Starfire gasped, offering her hand to help Raven to her feet.

She disregarded Starfire's help and picked herself up on her own. "I'm done," Raven said flatly, finding it difficult not to sound too flustered by her loss. She hid herself under her hood as she jumped down from the helipad, and hurried back inside before any questions could be thrown her way.

"I think we're _all_ done," Robin announced, casting a glance over to Cyborg, who's stomach had just gurgled loudly. Debating with him between tacos and enchiladas, they turned to head in after Raven.

Starfire was a little let down that her fun had been ended without warning, but she followed the three of them back inside without spoken complaint. She peeked back to ask if Beast Boy was coming, but he looked awful intent on watching the city. She left before she could see the black smudge cross over the bay, or the green falcon dart after it.

Despite how hard he pumped his wings, he knew there was no way he could keep up with Raven. He couldn't even pinpoint the street where she disappeared, so once he was in the general area, he scanned for her from above. When he turned up with nothing, he went on paw to use a bloodhound's nose. Whatever she was up to, she must've been in a hurry.

It took at least an hour before Beast Boy found any trace of her scent, and by now the sky was already dark. He hoped she wouldn't catch him wandering the street, because he doubted she would believe him if he told her he just in the neighborhood. From what he could tell, he had no business here, as the area was packed with pubs and shady apartments – so in other words, Raven should surely have no business here either. Beast Boy almost hoped he'd spot some creepy bookshop that had _Raven_ written all over it, but that would not be the case. He tracked her all the way from a door set into the alley side of a bar to the gates of the nearest park.

Rapidly approaching barking didn't concern him for a full minute as he trotted along the footpath with his nose to the ground. It was only when he could hear paws kicking up gravel that he looked up. His eyes widened at the sight of two enormous tan dogs charging full throttle in his direction. Their hungry gazes were locked on him and saliva flung from their jowls, their jaws full of pointy teeth which had no doubt spelled the end for many unsuspecting furry victims.

Beast Boy had the sudden inclination that the barks were indeed aimed at him. In a heartbeat, he was no longer a hound but a swift hummingbird, and he zipped up to the safety of a high limb above before he could be mauled. From his chosen perch, he stared down at the frothing dogs below him as they repeatedly leapt skyward. Thankfully, their jaws harmlessly snapped shut on nothing but air.

"_Angus! Bovine!_ Leave the squirrels alone, will you?"

Honestly, the sound of Raven's irritated voice scared him more than the lunging dogs did. She came into sight then, rounding a hedge to come collect the pair of disobedient bullmastiffs, and Beast Boy's beak hung open as he gawked at her civilian outfit. He clamped his beak the moment Raven looked up, staring into the branches of the tree above her to see what the dogs were so furious about. With his green plumage and diminutive size, he prayed Raven wouldn't see him. Just in case, he remained stock-still. Maybe it was like in the movies: she couldn't see him if he didn't move? He could hope.

The dogs quit barking almost as soon as Raven had a hold on their leashes. Growling quietly, they led her on through the park. Not once did Raven look back to the tree Beast Boy had taken refuge in. When she was gone, he let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

This wasn't at all what he'd been expecting, and his questions still weren't answered, but at least dog walking wasn't the _worst_ thing Raven could be spending her time on. He tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. _Maybe she's just trying to earn some extra money,_ he thought, lifting into the air to fly to another tree ahead on the path.

He became aware of an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach as he followed her, fleeting from tree to tree and wire to wire. There had to be more to it. What was she _really_ up to, sneaking off and staying out so late? There was no way she could spend so many hours walking a pair of dogs. Very briefly, he contemplated the likelihood that she'd found a significant other to kill time with, before pushing the idea from his head. _Nah,_ he thought in doubt.

Raven allowed for the dogs to tow her around for quite a while before the tables turned and she all but drug them back to the alley. When the dogs pulled her in through the side door, Beast Boy shot in as a silent moth before it could swing shut. He then dropped to the floor as a mouse and followed Raven and the two dangerous canines in further, as closely as he dared. The flooring underfoot vibrated the deeper in he ventured. As he came around a corner, he discovered he'd lost Raven.

Taking a moment to catch his breath – scampering around as a little mouse was draining – Beast Boy scanned the halls for any sign of her. Several people came and went through the doors midway down the hall, and thankfully none headed in his direction. Except for a trio of pouting dudes in tuxedos, these people looked too lively to really be Raven's kind of crowd.

Just as Beast Boy was about to turn to leave the way he'd come, a door on the other side of the hall opened and a group of young women came out chattering. They wore fairly scanty clothes, some not bothering to cover up with their colorful silk robes, and all but one seemed as elated as Starfire. The quiet ashen girl halted in the middle of the hall and stared ahead with a look of suspicion. Despite her silver tiara and long black hair – was she wearing a wig? – there was no mistaking her.

"_Come on,_ Rachel," a Hispanic woman groaned. This woman was the only one not dressed up in silk – just a normal shirt and jeans, and her hair was fixed into at least two dozen braids. She fell back to push the unmoving Raven toward a new door further down the hall, towards a terrified green mouse.

"But this is stupid," Raven complained, and the whole group of girls stopped to gape at her.

"It's an honor to be Ma's favorite!" a tall brunette gasped, and two others raised their large fancy white fans to teasingly put an uncomfortable Raven on display for the rest. She began to sing in a sweetly chiming twitter, "You are a beautiful girl, and we are gonna _rock. Their. World."_ The woman's red lips spread in a devious grin, and with a squeal she flung herself through the nearest door, followed by the two with the fans. The excited chant of, "Let's go! Let's go!" could be heard, even though they were well out of sight.

The first woman folded her arms and fixed Raven in a warm smile. "Don't mind her. Come on, hon. It's your last night, so break a leg." As Raven followed after the group, she stumbled in her high-heels as if she'd been jinxed. The woman winced, and added, "Not literally. Enjoy Seattle!"

Watching this take place, Beast Boy was as still as stone, and he didn't so much as twitch a whisker until the door had closed. The moment he felt it was safe to move again, he shot into the air and zipped back through the hall as a hummingbird, his wings beating as fast as his heart. _She could have caught me!_ he thought, horrified but at the same time relieved those people had been there to distract her. He raced straight for home. No way was he going to stick around for Raven to get off "work."

_I knew it! _he wanted to shout gleefully. _She _is_ up to something, and it isn't walking dogs!_

After a minute, it sank in and his flight slowed. That shouldn't have been a reassuring revelation. _If she's not walking dogs, what exactly is she doing?_ he wondered. As the image of her in that tiara and silky robe came back to mind, he forgot to flap. He fitted pieces together and concluded that Raven had become an actress in her spare time. An actress…below a bar? That didn't set right with him. After glimpsing what those women had been wearing beneath the robes, he wasn't sure if he wanted to mull it over anymore.

Beast Boy's nightly spying didn't end there. Close to one o'clock, he stealthily snuck into her room while she was still out. As he had before, he made himself comfortable in an cobweb on Raven's bookcase. From this dusty abandoned hammock of webs, he waited for Raven to make her usual appearance.

Starting at exactly 1:15 AM, she proved to him that tonight was much different than the others. _Tonight,_ Raven held no flask in her hand, her fists instead clenched and shaking. Even from here, Beast Boy could tell she was thoroughly ticked off. It was all she could do to hold herself together, and he hoped he was hidden well enough as Raven stalked his way. But she veered away from the bookshelf, kneeling down beside an old trunk. She carelessly threw it open and fished out a blank white book.

"I swear, if you're just ignoring me, I will–," she was hissing through her teeth, but stopped when she snapped the blank book shut. "Is this some kind of sick joke to you?" she spat, seemingly speaking to no one as her voice rose above a mutter. Raven threw the book back into the trunk and proceeded to pace, mouthing sinister words to her hands as a round ball of black energy formed between them. She whirled on the chest. "Don't mess with me. _I will burn you,"_ she warned, and the ball of energy between her hands spread over her. For an moment, Raven rose in height and dark wisps swept the floor round her, branching out rapidly and creeping up the walls of the room in no time.

Just as suddenly as the shadows had overcome her, they receded and Raven returned to standing on her own two legs, her normal self once more. The lid of the trunk was slammed down hard as she turned to prowl back to her bed. She sat on the very edge of the mattress and pulled a pillow close to her chest. For a moment, her hair stood on end and her cape and jeweled belt seemed weightless as she clung to the pillow. A bolt of energy struck the alarm clock on the nearby stand, busting it in the blink of an eye.

Yet again frozen in fear, Beast Boy felt increasingly guilty for witnessing any of this. Normally he would leave as soon as he'd confirmed she'd come home. Raven always tried her best not to show any hint of emotion, and here she was throwing some kind of fit, completely unaware that she was being watched.

Raven's sulking didn't last long enough, because she'd collected herself and folded her legs to meditate before Beast Boy could even scuttle down from the cobweb. Taking the cue to get out while he still could, he became a fly and shot for the vent, escaping with his life. Before Raven could reach _Zinthos, _he'd raced through the air ducts and was safely in the hall.

++X++

Some time past noon the next day, Starfire paced into ops to hang around the sofa anxiously. Typically, the boys were gathered around here, even Robin for a change. She gave a tiny whine, but when that didn't gain his attention she tapped the boy's shoulder. He tipped his head back to look up at her, and immediately read the worried look on her face. Furrowing his brow, he turned around properly to face Starfire.

"I have not seen Raven yet today," she quickly informed before he could ask her what was wrong. "Have _you_ seen her?"

"Not since she bailed last night," Robin said, realizing now that it had been quite some time since he'd seen her. Considering her recent habits, it did seem odd. "Isn't she in her room?"

Starfire shook her head. "I knocked on her door, but she did not reply."

Robin cast a glance to the others now. They were clearly absorbed in the TV, but he inquired anyway, "Hey. BB, Cyborg. Either of you seen Raven?"

But Cyborg and Beast Boy remained vacantly fixated on the screen, mouths gaping and eyes wide. In unison, they managed a slight shake of the head. Robin knew they didn't really hear a word he'd said, and he wasted a withering glower on the duo. By the time Beast Boy comprehended the question, Robin was already gone. As tempting as it was to stay and watch the show, he forced himself to go after him. Hadn't he said something about Raven?

Starfire listened intently when Robin knocked on Raven's bedroom door, and she stared at him with her huge worried green eyes. "I have looked everywhere," she stated when there wasn't the slightest noise from inside. Lately, Raven had been so agitated and active in there, that she'd usually drop something or the sound of a book snapping shut could be heard. But today there was absolute silence.

Robin gave it a shot. "Raven? Are you in there?" he called. A moment passed, and there was no response. He cast a glance to Beast Boy, anticipating him to have a go, but the green teen hung back, refusing to come closer. "We're coming in," Robin warned. Surely, if Raven was inside she would do something to stop _that_ from happening.

When the door opened…nothing happened.

The trio had braced themselves for Raven's power to shove them back or for books to be thrown at them, but relaxed slightly when the eerie calm registered in their brains. They were surprised – in a bad way – to find the door unlocked and the room a bit empty, although a complete mess. They peered in cautiously. She wasn't sick in bed, and to Beast Boy it seemed a bit _too_ empty inside.

Robin grabbed his communicator and called for Raven. It proved to be a lost cause, as the line was dead. Robin was the first to risk entering, having no qualms with trespassing into her room. Behind him, Starfire cautiously crept in after the boy as he looked about with a suspicious scowl. Robin muttered half to himself about the tower security.

The three of them scanned the room from where they stood safely near the doorway, trying to unravel what had happened here with a brief inspection. Scattered across the floor was broken glass and shredded pages. Streaks of wax had dried on a wall where a candle had evidentially been thrown. Several books lay on the floor, a couple charred and blackened with the pages burned out, still glowing at the edges. Residual smoke lingered in the air and stirred around them. Despite the disorder, a fairly large ring of candles sat in an almost perfect circle on the floor. Most still burned, lit no more than an hour ago. By the looks of it, Raven hadn't been over her tantrum last night after all.

"What happened?" Starfire wondered aloud. "Where is Raven?"

Ignoring her hovering, Robin examined the candles. "Don't know," was his reply. He beckoned Beast Boy. "Sniff around. See if there's been an intruder. But leave the candles alone – for all we know, she could still be using them," he warned.

Obediently dropping to all fours, Beast Boy carried out the command as his teammates left. As far as people go, his hound nose could pick up little more than Raven. Maybe some underlying trace odors of others she'd carried in on her clothes, but nothing worth noting.

An overwhelming sense of dread was stealing over him now. After seeing what he had last night and now seeing her room thrashed like this was making him physically ill. And here he thought being in here at all was bad to begin with.

Beast Boy stood on his own two feet and paced around the ring of candles in the center of the room. Judging from a tipped glass and a watery spill, one of her freaky spells hadn't gone as planned. A fat candle from the ring had been knocked over as well, the wax spilled and hardened on the carpet.

He dared to pace further into the forbidden room to see what else was out of place. Hesitantly calling out her name, he readied himself and waited. There was no reply, and no furious girl came to boot him out. That wasn't comforting. "If this is a joke, it's not funny. What's going—?"

A slight draft caused the candles to flicker and shadows to jump, so he timidly crept around the wall at the back of the room to check out the inlet. Here, a dresser had been reduced to a pile of splintered wood, mars on the walls from when it had presumably exploded by mistake, and disturbed by the gentle breeze were more scattered devastated pages leading up to the busted window, at the foot of which was Raven's cloak and belt, carelessly tossed aside.

* * *

**A/N**

Clearly he's thinking, _Damn, another potential mate ran away._ ahaha I'm just kidding.

Maybe.

_~Asio_


End file.
